A diplomatic row escalated after Moldova handed a protest and a bottle of contaminated water to Russia’s ambassador, raising urgent questions about cross border river safety.
The Foreign Ministry confirmed to journalists the authenticity of the Romanian-language document, but clarified that the Russian-language version does not belong to the ministry.
«The protest note in Romanian belongs to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Russian-language version does not belong to us. Its dissemination is a violation of diplomatic practice and the norms regarding the confidentiality of official correspondence. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs regards this case as a new unfriendly step that undermines trust in the work of the diplomats at the Russian embassy in Chișinău»
– Ministry of Foreign Affairs
On March 17, for using diplomatic accreditation, the Russian ambassador to Moldova, Oleg Ozerov, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry; he was handed a protest note in connection with the earlier attack on the Dniester Hydroelectric Station, which they consider the cause of the river’s pollution with oil products. Also during the meeting, Ozerov was handed a bottle of water contaminated with Dniester water.
The next day the embassy released a statement, rejecting Chisinau’s accusations, calling them “hasty and unfounded.” The representatives of the diplomatic mission also stated that the water container handed to them by the MFA cannot be evidence of anything and is “just another PR stunt.”
In the Dniester River on March 10, traces of technical oils were recorded in the area of Liadova village, Yarishivska community, Mohyliv-Podilskyi district, Vinnytsia region. The pollution moved downstream toward the Naslavcha zone in Moldova.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu stated that there is a threat to the country’s water supply due to the Dniester pollution and stressed that Russia bears full responsibility.
“Russia bears full responsibility”
– Moldovan President Maia Sandu
Context and implications for relations
The incident with protest notes and the related statements between Chisinau and Moscow unfolds in the context of prolonged tensions over security, trust, and the environmental consequences of regional events affecting both countries.
The events highlight the region’s sensitivity to diplomatic disagreements and the need for coordinated steps to maintain trust between Moldova, Russia, and neighboring countries to prevent new escalations and environmental crises.